Lucky winner receives new lawn mower

Spring has sprung and with it comes the ever-growing blades of grass. For many, and especially with the abundant amounts of rain Ohio has seen as of late, mowing season has officially begun. For one lucky New Philadelphia resident though, the task of mowing the yard has become a little less daunting.

Tonya Alander received a phone call from Graphic Publications, Inc. saying she was the lucky winner of the Cub Cadet lawn mower giveaway. Her first reaction was simply, “Cool!”

After learning the entry details online through Facebook, Alander logged onto The Bargain Hunter website and entered the contest, which was held during the month of March.

“I just went to the link and wrote, ‘Pick me! Pick me!’ in the little comment box,” she said. She never thought she’d win, and in fact, had actually forgotten about the whole thing until she heard the answering machine message. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She had won the month-long, tri-county contest for a brand new lawn mower.

“We needed a mower. We kept putting it off and putting it off,” Alander said. “We’re very happy.”

With five acres of property located off Tabor Ridge Road in New Philadelphia, the Alanders have plenty of grass to mow. They purchased a riding lawn mower last year for the large spans of grass, but had not bought a new push mower in 10 years, which they needed for around the house and garden.

And although her husband does the majority of the mowing, Alander is glad she received the prize, which is more lightweight than her existing mower.

“We have some steep banks down by the road and our old lawn mower was really heavy,” she said. “I avoided that as much as possible.”

What enticed Alander to enter the contest was the simple fact it was free and easy, but also that it was a contest that remained local. Without the nationwide exposure, Alander thought she had a better chance of winning.

And she did.

When she found out she had won, she called everybody. “It was pretty neat,” she said.

And as she loaded the lawn mower into her minivan on Wednesday, April 27, Alander was ready to get home and get started. Commenting on her growing grass, she said, “We’re overdue… we need it. I’m excited and I think I can actually do something with that.”

Currently, Graphic Publications, Inc. is giving away a $300 prize to Landscape Around Your House. For any readers that missed the entry forms in the print edition of Around the House, you can enter online at http://www.gpubs.com. Remember to keep checking back every month for a great new giveaway.